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Monday, July 4, 2011

Cinder Block Pit Cooking

I did some cinder block pit cooking this weekend..I use the pit for whole hogs but every once in awhile I use it for a variety of slow smoked food.The old pit comes in handy. :)

I wanted to save time so I smoked a brisket in my drum the day before...Seasoned with kosher salt, cracked black pepper and a bit of garlic.

also smoked 4 pork butts in the Memphis pro...

I covered the bottom of the pit with foil...

added drip pans containing beer, seasonings and a few leeks.. ( I love the aroma :)).

Placed about 5lbs of coal at each end...

When the coals were lit I placed my expanded metal grate on top....

then added another layer of cinder blocks and added the spare ribs which were brushed with bacon drippings and seasoned with Oklahoma Head Country dry rub.

Also added a pot of pintos... seasoned with ham, onions, garlic, crushed cayenne peppers, a pinch of thyme, basil and bay leaves.

I placed the pintos over the hot coals and the ribs in the middle of the pit for indirect heat...

covered the pit with some old sheets of metal and took a break. :)

Checked the pit after one hour... you don't really need to do this, I wanted to make sure everything was doing ok.I also placed a remote thermometer inside of the pit...that's something I don't normally do. It maintained a temp of 225 the whole time.

add two handfulls (10 to 15 coals) of charcoal to the pit every 30 to 45 minutes. I slide the middle block out on each end to get to the hot coal pile.

After 3 hours I foil the ribs, then place them meat side down to cook for another 2 hours.I also rotate them.. placing the ribs closest to the heat source in the middle of the pit.

After foiling the ribs, I added two large pans of the pulled pork and also the wrapped smoked brisket (foiled with beef stock)..

After 2 hours of foil-on cooking, I unwrapped everything and added a pot of Q sauce...

I let everything smoke in the pit for another hour, stirring the pulled pork and the beans a few times.

I brushed the ribs with Q sauce during the last 30 minutes....

Time to eat...The pulled pork sandwiches, brisket and ribs....

The hot Q sauce...

Ha... one friend was asked by his wife what she was supposed to bring to the cookout. He told her mashed potatoes and gravy. So she made them.. I kidded him about mashed potatoes and gravy not being "cook out" food... he said this was the only way he would get them. Apparently she won't make them at home. lol

My pot of pintos at the bottom of the pic..

salads....

I didn't get pics of the desserts but there was home made ice cream, cakes, pies, brownies, and so many other goodies too..

I didn't get a pic of my plate either..

after cooking, I headed to the ice chest for a cold beer and then headed to the shade tree to prop my feet up and relax. :)It was a fun...

Reminded me of my childhood when my dad would build a cinder block pit on Memorial Day Sunday each year. We'd have friends over for a BBQ and to listen to the Indy 500 on the radio.You must be quite popular in your neck of the woods, Jeanie!-Steve

Cowgirl, you continue to amaze me. Why am I not used to that already? The variety of BBQing and cooking techniques was great and the results and food spread were awesome!!! Everything I saw was just plain amazing. You are a very talented and not doubt gracious hostess. You put the capital "C" in celebration.Your friend from Guam,Rueben

Congrats on the write up. Have been wanting a big smoker,thought about building one. Now i've decided to go old school with cinder block. I knew you were good for something... Lol. Blue Angel air show this weekend. Buddy

We did a 90 lb pig this weekend in a cooker of your design. Used fire proof cement board for the cover. Worked great. We leave openings at each end and block them with foil wrapped bricks. Was a bit too air tight so we rotated leaving an end cracked. It was great. next roast will be Labor Day weekend in Silver Lake, NH.

Rick it depends on the size of the pig, anywhere from 8 hours to 12. The outside air temperature effects it too. I tried cooking a small one in the late fall one time, it started snowing and the pig took forever!

Hey Tristan, Thanks! :)This was a birthday party.. I agreed to host. 50 were invited so I planned on at least 50 pulled pork sandwiches.. then I figured several of the fellas would eat more than that, SO I added the ribs. There were several small children too that didn't eat much... I was guestimating. :)I provided the meat and a pot of beans and everyone else brought the side dishes and desserts.

As it turned out, not all 50 made it but others brought fiances, new spouses and kids I had not met yet so I think the head count was still close to 50. ( I didn't take time to count. )Everyone got fed. lol

Thanks Mike, It takes between 8 to 12 hours, depending on the size of the pig. It's tricky to get the hams and butts up to temperature without drying out the rib section. Just place the hot coals at the ends and don't rush it. I've covered the rib section with bacon and foil at times to keep them moist too.Hope you give it a try Mike and keep me posted if you do. Thanks!

Cowgirl,that spread is totally awesome. You so inspire me to cook outside more and I really want to try out your cinder block smoker pit,as we have plenty around here. Thanks for making me so hungry this early in the morning.

Operation BBQ Relief

About Me

Born and raised in the country, I Love wide open spaces.
Enjoy camping, fishing, hunting, and any form of outdoor cooking, hot, warm and cold smoking. Preserving what I hunt, catch, raise or forage. I enjoy being able to provide food for my table.
I'm thankful for each day and will never take anything for granted.
Thanks for stopping by!

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